NEWS &AMP; EVENTS - GENERAL

Regular SAN exercises postponed by mutual consent

Two of the regular international exercises the SA Navy (SAN) is part of have been postponed by mutual agreement.

The exercises are Oxide with the French maritime forces in the Indian Ocean and Good Hope with the German Navy.

In response to a defenceWeb enquiry, the Navy Office in Pretoria said Exercise Oxide will not take place this year (2019). “It has been moved to 2020 by mutual agreement between the two navies”.

“Exercise Good Hope with the German Navy will not take place in 2020 and has been postponed until 2022 as mutually agreed between the two navies,” the maritime service of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said.

While these two longstanding exercises have moved there is a new one on the horizon – Exercise Deep Sea – with Brazil, China and Russia as co-participants along with the SA Navy. Information at defenceWeb’s disposal indicates the South African Air Force will provide air support for the multinational maritime exercise. It is scheduled for the 2012/22 and 2022/23 cycles.

Other naval exercises on the cards are Atlasur (Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay) in the 2020/21 and 2022/23 cycles and Ibsamar (Brazil, India and South Africa) in the 2020/21 and 2022/23 cycles. The maritime service will contribute to Exercise Shared Accord with US forces in the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 cycles. This is a joint multinational and inter-departmental peace support exercise with humanitarian relief operations. Previous Shared Accords have been in the Eastern Cape with humanitarian assistance in the form of dental, medical, optical and veterinary services to people in remote parts of the province.